Page 55 of Love at First Site

He grins. ‘Will the weekend involve more of this?’

‘I should bloody hope so.’

25

Noah and I had sex this morning. I can’t really believe I’m saying that, as it was only yesterday that I kissed him. It wasn’t planned or assumed, at least not by me, although I suspect he may have had other ideas. What happened was that I came over as normal and we started work on the house. Now that the new bathroom is in and functioning, Noah has hired a skip, so he was working on dismantling the old downstairs bathroom and carrying it out, while I started painting the banisters of the new staircase.

So far, so innocent. However, every time he came back through the hallway after carrying something out, he’d casually brush past me. At first, he’d just touch my back, but then his hand started dropping lower and ever so gently stroking and squeezing my bottom. Then he moved my hair to one side so he could brush his lips over the back of my neck. It was slowly driving me crazy. It’s another warm day, so I’d dressed lightly in T-shirt and loose shorts. It was torture as he slowly increased the intensity. At one point, he slipped his arm around my waist while he kissed my neck, and I could take it no more, guiding his hand under the fabric of my top and bra and onto my breast. I could hear the catch in his breath as his thumb moved across my nipple.

‘Enough,’ I’d said, turning around and cupping his face while I kissed him. ‘We’re never going to get anything done at this rate. Close the front door and take me upstairs.’

He didn’t need telling twice but, while I was raring to go, tugging hungrily at his clothes, he was in no rush. It was agony and ecstasy all at the same time because my body was crying out for him, but he just continued to tease with a light touch here, or a little kiss there. By the time the main event came around, he’d already tipped me over the edge once. It was so different to what I’ve been used to with Lee, and I mean that in a good way. Even the sex itself was totally different. Sex with Lee always came with a running commentary from him that went something like ‘Oh yeah, baby, that’s fantastic. Mm, yeah. Oh, yes, just lift your knees a little, oh yes, that’s it, oh now we’re cooking on gas, that’s the puppy right there,’ and so on as he pumped away, grabbing bits of me to help himself along. It was a little off-putting at first, but I learned to drown him out, and it seemed to make him happy, even if it never really did it for me.

Noah, on the other hand, was almost totally silent until the end. He was so gentle that, at times, he barely seemed to be moving at all, which made all the sensations much more intense. His eyes were locked on mine and I felt slightly uncomfortable to begin with, as if he was scrutinising me. But then I noticed the hunger in them and realised that, far from appraising me critically, he was drinking me in, and it made me feel desired and powerful. I will happily have lots more of that, thank you very much.

Afterwards, I’d grabbed my underwear to get dressed, but he’d stopped me.

‘You are so beautiful,’ he’d told me, in a hoarse voice I hadn’t heard before. ‘Can I just look at you a little longer?’

‘You’re pretty easy on the eye yourself,’ I’d told him, running my hand down his chest. There had been the slightest sheen of sweat on it, making him shine.

‘I’ll tell you something,’ I’d called to him later on from the shower, ‘whoever tiled this bathroom really knew what they were doing!’ which had made him laugh.

We’re back downstairs and he’s still brushing past me as he passes, but now that the sexual tension has been released, it’s just nice; I’m enjoying the physical contact without wanting to drag him upstairs. Of course, if it carries on like this for the rest of the day, I’m not making any promises that things won’t escalate again, but I’m under control for now.

‘I don’t want to presume,’ Noah says to me over lunch, ‘but would it be a good idea for me to invest in a double mattress, do you think?’

‘The thought did occur to me while I was painting,’ I reply. ‘I don’t want to be rude, but your house is a bit of a campsite still so, lovely as the shower is, I’m not sure I want to stay here overnight yet.’

His face falls a little.

‘I’m not done,’ I tell him. ‘I think it would be a good idea for you to get a double mattress anyway, just in case we find we need to rush upstairs like we did this morning, but I also wondered whether you might like to stay over at mine from time to time.’

‘Are you seriously suggesting that the caravan of shit is a nicer place to spend the night than my beautiful home?’ He’s trying, and failing, to look offended.

‘The caravan of shit is delightful now, as you well know, and it has the advantage that nobody goes past.

He does look genuinely annoyed now. ‘Are you ashamed to be seen with me?’

‘No! Not at all, it’s just…’

‘It’s the workplace romance thing, isn’t it? You’re still hung up on that.’

‘A little, yes,’ I admit.

‘I hate to pop your balloon, but I think you’ll find everyone knows already.’

‘How? Why?’

‘Umm, because we showed up at the pub together, looking happy after a week when everyone noticed we weren’t speaking. It’s not a big deal, I promise you. They’ll just be pleased that things are back on an even keel.’

‘But what if…’

‘What if we fall out? How about we don’t fall out then? I don’t know where you’ve got this hang-up from, but we’re not doing anything wrong. We’re both single and free to date whomever we choose.’

‘Are we?’

‘Are we what?’

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